BOOSTING bacteria in the gut from the flora and fauna found in a pot of yoghurt could affect heart health, say experts

A pot of yoghurt a day could help beat high blood pressure, a study claims. The finding has major implications for millions of Britons suffering from the condition.

Researchers have discovered that boosting healthy bacteria in the gut with probiotics found in live yoghurt can improve and maintain healthy blood pressure.

Probiotics or “good” bacteria are micro-organisms in the gut which are believed to be beneficial for health. Now scientists have looked at their effects on blood pressure.

Research leader Dr Jing Sun said: “The studies suggest regular consumption of probiotics can be part of a healthy lifestyle to help reduce high blood pressure, as well as maintain healthy blood pressure levels.”

The studies suggest regular consumption of probiotics can be part of a healthy lifestyle to help reduce high blood pressure

Dr Jing Sun

She said they believed probiotics helped by having other positive effects such as improving total cholesterol levels, reducing blood glucose and insulin resistance and helping regulate the hormone system controlling blood pressure and fluid balance.

High blood pressure, which affects 16 million Britons, is a risk factor for stroke and heart ­disease and is often called the “silent killer” because it mostly has no symptoms.

Senior lecturer Dr Sun and her team at Griffith Health Institute and School of Medicine on the Gold Coast in Australia, analysed results of nine studies examining blood pressure and probiotic consumption in 543 adults with normal and high blood pressure.

The study looked at the benefits of probiotic yoghurt [GETTY]

The findings, published in the journal Hypertension, found that probiotics lowered blood pressure and that the positive effects were greatest in people with raised blood pressure.

But the benefits only applied if probiotics – which are also found in fermented and sour milk and cheese and can be taken as a diet supplement – were eaten for more than eight weeks.

Probiotics with multiple bacteria lowered blood pressure more than those with a single bacteria, according to the research.

Dr Sun said the studies of the effects tend to be small and that more research is needed before doctors can confidently recommend probiotics for high blood pressure control and prevention.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said it was vital that everyone made efforts to keep their blood pressure in check.

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She said: “While this is an interesting review of the research, it’s too soon to start recommending probiotics for lowering blood pressure. We need more research to confirm the findings seen here.

“There are a number of well-established lifestyle changes that we can make to keep our blood pressure healthy. Eating less salt, more fruit and vegetables and being physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight are all tried and tested ways.”

Untreated, high blood pressure can have serious health implications and causes around half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease as well as being a major cause of chronic kidney disease. It kills 62,000 Britons annually – 10 per cent of all deaths.

One in six British men and one in 10 women are unaware they have the condition.